


Freckles

by orangebarmy



Category: Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2003)
Genre: Brotherly Love, Freckles, Gen, Ratings: G, Self Confidence Issues
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-02-20
Updated: 2015-02-20
Packaged: 2018-03-13 23:15:33
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,570
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3399869
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orangebarmy/pseuds/orangebarmy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Disclaimer: I do not own TMNT sadly<br/>Summary: Mikey notices something unusual<br/>Rating: G<br/></p>
            </blockquote>





	Freckles

Raph frowned as he watched his smaller brother standing before the mirror of their shared room. Mikey was pouting as he kept moving from side to side looking at his shoulders, arms and legs before leaning forward and examining his face. It was obvious that he was inspecting his skin closely. Raph wouldn't normally have noticed so used to Mikey acting strange and unusual, it is what the youngest did best. This new habit however was very different from even Michelangelo's strangeness and had the hot head baffled. 

It had started quickly one day when Mikey had come out of the bathroom in a rush and disappeared into Donatello’s lab. Curious as to what his baby brother was doing and why he was in such a rush, Raph had followed standing in the doorway golden eyes taking in the scene.

“Hey Donnie can I check something?” Mikey had asked quickly.

“Sure, what do you need to check?” Donnie had replied with a quick smile.

Mikey didn't answer instead he closed the gap between them hands coming to grip Donnie’s face. Raph had frowned as Mikey began rocking Donatello’s head from side to side. He had moved closely to his intelligent brother and examined his olive toned skin in detail. He had then moved to Donnie’s shoulders and upper arms, a pout gradually forming on the sea green lips. 

“Thanks Donnie,” Mikey had eventually sighed leaving the room.

Donnie stood shell shocked his eyes coming up to meet Raph’s, the questions being silently processed between them. The emerald green turtle had only shrugged his shoulders before heading back to the sofa, sometimes it was best not to ask.

When Mikey repeated the process with a slightly more confused Leonardo, Donnie had pulled the smallest turtle aside and asked him what was wrong. Mikey worried at his lip before leaning in and talking to his brother in low tones. Donnie had chuckled when Mikey had finished but promised to do some research to put his baby brother’s mind at ease.

Raph had initially thought he had escaped Mikey’s weird attentions but discovered that Mikey had slightly more planned for him. Waking to find Mikey examining him was a disconcerting experience, but the unusually pensive expression on his little brother's face had silenced his words before they were voiced. Golden orbs had simply watched Mikey carefully as the proclaimed youngest examined Raphael's skin.

Once he had completed his examination Mikey’s pout had returned full force as he sat on the edge of the bed and appeared to be thinking. Raph wanted to know what was going on in the nutballs head and he knew he would need to be a caring big brother in order to get that information. With a sigh he sat up grabbed Mikey's arm and pulled the youngest down next to him, slinging an arm around Mikey's shoulders so the more athletic turtle could curl up by his side as he used to when they were younger.

Minutes passed, Raph simply offering his little brother a reassuring presence before the elder dared to try and broach the subject.

“Mikey?” Raph finally asked lifting his head a little so he could stare down at Mikey.

“Hmm?” Mikey replied his tone indicating he was listening but was still destracted.

“What’s the deal with you recently? I know you keep saying you’re the cute one but you've kind of developed an obsession with your appearance.”

“Nothing I’m fine,” Mikey replied moving to get up from the bed.

“Uh huh I’m not buying it. Tell me what the shell is going on in that screwy brain of yours,” Raph instructed keeping his arm around Mikey and preventing him from rising.

Mikey tensed a little and for a moment Raph thought he was going to put up a fight, but then the sea green form relaxed against his side and Mikey was snuggling close into his protective brothers side.

“Well?” Raph asked after a few minutes of silence.

“I noticed something in the mirror the other day,” Mikey began. “I checked you guys but you don’t have it and Donnie says it is fine but I don’t know, it makes me feel different. What am I saying, it does make me different!”

“What did you notice?” Raph asked trying to hide the concern in his voice.

Golden orbs flowed over the sea green skin trying to spot what it was that Mikey had noticed but failed to register any new change.

“I’m really spotty!” Mikey declared with an exaggerated sigh. 

“I've checked almost every inch of you guys but not one single spot. I never noticed before but I suddenly realised I am covered in them, like I’m not enough of a freak anyway nature just had to add lots of spots into the mix!”

Raph felt the chuckle threatening to break loose from his throat at Mikey’s declaration but he swallowed it down. His heart felt like it was beating properly again no longer hammering with fear. He hugged Mikey even closer to his plastron even daring to affectionately kiss the top of the sea green head.

“What did Donnie say about it?” Raph questioned.

“He said something about me possibly having been bred from a specific type of red eared slider that has a DNA strain which results in lighter colourings, hence why my skin tone is lighter than the rest of you. He thinks that if I was bred from one of these lighter turtles the ooze may have reacted with the strain and caused my spots. He said he would run tests but that means needles…” Mikey explained ending with a over exaggerated shiver.

“Yeah and we all know how you love needles,” Raph smirked before sighing. "I’m not seeing what the problem is here Mikey?”

“How can you not see Raph? I’m like ‘Super Spotty the Mutant Turtle’, it isn't right!” Mikey pouted.

Raph did chuckle at that remark, he loved how Mikey got himself into a tizzy over what everyone else thought was mundane things. It exasperated him at times but overall it reminded him how much more innocent and kind the slightly younger turtle was. It helped Raph to remember not to take himself so seriously. It certainly kept Raph on his toes; he never knew what his baby brother was going to throw at him.

Raph thought about it for a moment before unwrapping his arm from around Mikey and pushing the sea green turtle to sit and then stand. Joining his sibling Raph had Mikey stand under the bedroom light before taking his chin in his fingers so he could move Mikey's face as he examined it. Azure blue eyes moved with Raph as the larger turtle looked over Mikey's face and shoulders. 

“You know something Mikey; I don’t think they are spots!” Raph declared pulling away.

“Huh?” Mikey raised his head confused.

“They aren't spots,” Raph repeated more assuredly. 

“Then what are they?” Mikey questioned curiously.

“Freckles.”

“Freckles?”

“Freckles,” Raph repeated with a soft smile. 

Mikey scowled before pulling his face from Raph's grasp and headed back to the mirror once again carefully examining his face and shoulders, pulling at the skin to see it change and moving to catch different lighting effects.

“Freckles?” he repeated eyes fixated on his reflection.

Raph’s deep rumbling laughter filled the air in the room as he moved until he was standing behind Mikey. He snaked his arm around the smaller turtles shoulders, pulling him against his side so they could stare at their reflections together.

“I don’t know Raph,” Mikey didn't sound convinced.

“Look Mikey its simple, it is normal diversity among a species. We aren't all the same are we; we are all different colours and body types and one of us has little freckles. If we were all alike it would be boring don’t you think?” Raph spoke plainly.

Mikey snickered and Raph’s grin spread.

“Geez I’m sounding like Donnie!” the hot head chuckled.

“Ha yeah I suppose you are right, especially if everyone looked like me! I wouldn't be the only cute one anymore,” Mikey giggled lightly.

Raph couldn't keep the smile from his face as he tightened his arm around Mikey's shoulders bringing the younger down so he could scrub his knuckles across the top of the bald sea green head. Mikey protested with a laugh before Raph let him go.

“There isn't anything wrong with you Mikey,” Raph replied sincerely.

“Yeah?” Mikey asked back eyes wide and his tone still seeking reassurance.

Raph grinned widely, “Yeah baby brother, we wouldn't have you any other way." 

Mikey nodded his head in understanding before a cheeky glint sparkled in his eyes, "Raph did you know you can be the corniest at times?”

Raph rolled his eyes but continued to smile at Mikey. Reaching out he gave his younger brother a shove sending him towards the bunk beds. 

"Come on bozo, you still need your beauty sleep if you wanna stay the cute one," Raph grumbled.

Mikey laughed and hopped up onto the upper bunk quickly disappearing under the blankets as he sorted himself out. Raph lay down and pulled his own blanket back up and was reaching over for the light switch when Mikey's head appeared over the edge of the bunk.

"Thanks Raphie," he said simply before disappearing.

Turning out the light Raph settled back onto the bed sighing happily, "Anytime little brother."


End file.
